@beardalaxy @bitterblossom I've also been trying to come up with my own rules. I'm a dumb guy with math so I also want to keep it simple. I don't understand much of the rules of DnD even though I read the 5e starter set manuals. Almost everything would be randomly generated. I don't even want to make maps, just random seeds. Ok so like you spawn, you look around, what do you see? First we roll to see what environment you're in (based on seed numbers), and when it comes to events, enemies, battles, etc (even dialogue) we look at the situation, come up with some ideas for possibilities, then roll to see which possibility reality generates. I tried a game with my mom and it worked pretty well, she woke up in a forest, searched for water, spotted wolf tracks, found water, made camp, and got lucky and heard other campers in the distance. First we rolled for environment, then rolled for travel and some rolls to see if anything would interrupt that travel, then some rolls to check stuff out, and before we knew it an adventure had been had. She's completely averse to dnd and thinks it sucks so that she had fun is really saying something.

@beardalaxy @Jazzy_Butts i highly recommend Anima Beyond Fantasy as a system.

it requires a bit more math initially (there are some combat charts you can copy to assist with that, it's simpler than it seems once you get a feel for the flow), but instead of classes you have archetypes, and all your skills/combat abilities/modules/etc are acquired via a point-buy system. your archetype only determines which skills are more or less expensive, so you end up with a highly customized character.

it works on a percentile system, you roll 1d100 for just about everything, and you are considered to have mastered a skill when you have a score of 200+ in it.

the magic system is far superior to d&d, none of that daily/encounter/at-will bullshit. you have a mana pool (called zeon) and a Magic Accumulation stat; you can draw from your mana pool each turn an amount equal to your MA, and then use it to cast a spell once youve gathered enough. the spell lists themselves are by element, not class; your intelligence determines how many spells you can learn, so you can focus on a particular element and get like 40 levels of spells from the path, or pick and choose from anywhere at slightly higher costs for a more versatile list...

there's also a system for psychic powers, and one for ki, so you can literally run a dragonball z style game if you want.

the core rulebook has all of everything you need, including a system for creating npc's and monsters, and some generic examples; the expansions include bestiaries, or ways to customize and expand on the different magic/psychic/ki systems, and rules for mass combats... but you really only need the one core book to get everything.

iirc the core book is a flat 60 dollars, and is originally in spanish; the english translation is kinda wonky in some places.

each combat round is dealt with more realistically than in most ttrpgs; everybody rolls initiative, highest goes first, but if you were attacked for instance, if you defend you spend your action that round, or you can ignore it, take the hit and penalties, and do something else. you can get overwhelmed by someone faster than you, but it balances out by the fact that if you roll a good defense and they roll a bad attack, there's a chance to make a counterattack with a bonus.... and then the damage dealt by an attack is a percentage based on the weapon damage and player strength compared to how well it hit; barely hitting someone is just going to ping them a bit, or bounce off armor, but a good hit will deal extra damage.

levels are also far more important than in d&d. at lv1 you're a "starting adventurer" so you'll have stats slightly better than the average mook, but at level 3 you're a veteran, and it goes up exponentially; at level 10 you can solo against entire armies, and at 15 you are equivalent to the sorts of apocalyptic monsters that can casually annihilate entire continents.